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P. B. CASSIDY.

MAIL BAG GATGHER.

No. 317,504. Patented May 12, 1885.

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B. B. OASSIDY.

MAIL BAG GATGHER.

110311504. Patented May 12, 1885.

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3 Sheets-Sheet '3.

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. teeth 3, a strong leaf-spring, 5, securely bolted NITEI) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER B. OASSIDY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE HALF TO JAMES GRAWLEY, OF SAME PLACE.

MAIL-BAG CATCHER- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,504, dated May 12, 1885.

Application filed March 27, 1885.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PETER B. GAssIDY, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvem entin Mail-B ag Catchers and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

This application relates to certain improvements upon the apparatus shown in Letters Patent No. 311,228, granted to me on January 27, 1885, and the object of the improvement is, first, to effect the automatic setting of'the bag-catching hook in position for catching a bag; and second, to effect the automatic opening of the door of the car and its closing after the bag has been drawn inside of the car.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now describe it by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure l is a cross'section of a portion of the car, showing the position of the bag-catcher. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the devices showing the hook in an engaging position. Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view showing the devices after the hook has been withdrawn into the car. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on theline a a of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a viewofaportion of the door and of the hook, on the line b b of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a view of the trip devices. Fig. 8 is a vertical section on the line 0 c of Fig. 9 of the door-operating mechanism. Fig. 9 is a plan of the door-operating mechanism. Fig. 10 is a side elevation, looking in the direction of the arrow (1, Fig. 9. Figs. 1]., 12, 13, 14, and 15 are detail views.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each.

The devices are mounted on a vertical standard,1, which is secured to the floor and ceiling of the car.

The bag-catching devices are similar to those shown in my former patent, and consist of the disk 2,provided withratchet-teeth 3, and with a bag-catching hook, 4, on its periphery, the hook being arranged at a point in front of the to the side of the car, as at 6, and connected to the under side of the disk 2 by a pivoted link, 7, and a spring pawl, 8, which is pivoted to an arm, 9, secured by collar 10 to the standard (No model.)

1. The operation of these devices is as follows: The pressure of the spring 5 tends to hold the hook 4 in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, where it is projected for the purpose of engaging with a mail-bag. The car being in rapid motion, the impact of the bag against the hook 4 causes the disk 2 to be turned backward against the pressure of the spring 5 a sufficient distance to bring the hook into the position shown in Fig. 4 inside of the car. The pawl 8 slipping over the rack 3 secures the disk 2, with its hook 4, in the position inside the car, where it is carried by the impact of the bag, as shown in Fig. 4.

So far the construction and operation are practically the same as in my former patent, but in such patent it is necessary to release the disk 2 by disengaging the pawl 8 by hand. In my present application I show means for accomplishing this automatically, so that the hook will be brought to an engaging position without the intervention of human intelligence. These devices consist of an incline or wedge, 11, fastened to the side of the trackrail at a suitable distance in advance of the station or place where the bag is suspended, usually a post or platform beside the track. Pivoted to the bottom of the car is a rod or lever, 12, the lower end of which extends down alongside of the rail at a point which will cause it to come in contact with the inclinell. The upper end of the lever 12 extends up past an arm or lever, 13, secured to the hub of the pawl 8, as indicated in Figs. 1, 3, 4, and particularly in Fig. 7. The operation of these devices is as follows: When the lower end of the lever 12 encounters the incline 11, it causes the upper end of the lever to strike the arm 13 and retract the pawl 8,thereby releasing the disk, and permitting the spring 5 to throw it out in the position shown in Fig. 3.

I will now describe the construction and operation of the car-door, and the devices for automatically opening and closing the same.

Secured to or formed in one piece with the disk 2 is a hollow shaft, 14, which extends up to or near to the top of the car. The disk 2 and shaft 14 are free to turn on the standard 1, being supported by the collar 15.

Secured to the hollow-shaft 14 is a collar,

16, upon which rests loosely a drum or pulley,

17, which is provided with a plain reeling or winding face, 18, and a circular ratchet-rack, 19, the same being separated by a suitable collar, 20.

Fastened to the windin'gsurface18is a cord or rope, 21, which passes around a sheave, 2?, attached to a suitable part of the car, and thence to the rear. half of the door 23, to which it is attached. The door is madein halves, the rear half, 24 being provided with a strong closing-spring, 26, and thefront'half, 25,being secured to the half 24 by spring-hinges 27, which, when free to act, throw the half 25 forward into line with the rear half 24.

Extending through the front half, 25, and into the rear half, 24, is a slot, 28, for the passage of the hook 4. This hook isprovided with a crosspiece, 29, and the door 25 is provided with a narrow slot, 30, for the passage of the same. The cross piece 29 is of greater width than the slot 30, the purpose of which construction will be hereinafter explained.

Extending radially from the collar 16 is an arm, 31, having a lateral extension, 32, on which is pivoted apawl, 33, which is designed to engage the rack 19 on the periphery of the drum 17. hen the hook4 isin its engaging position, the pawl 33-is engaging the rack 19, as shown in Fig. 9, and when it is in its retracted position inside of the car the pawl is in the position shown in Fig. 11.

On the arm 31 is a pin or stop, 34, and on the pawl 33 is a heel, 35, which, when the pawl is thrown back, as indicated in Fig. 11, encounters the stop 34, and prevents its swingin g any farther back on its pivot.

Attached to the arm 31 is a. spring, 36, which is curved to-form the arc of a circle struck from the pivot of the pawl 33, and secured to the inside of this spring is a wedge-shaped stop or incline, 37. When the pawl 33 is turned backward out of engagement with the rack 19. its end 38 passes over the inclined stop 37, which then springs up behind it, as indicated in Figs. 11, 12, and 13, so as to prevent the pawl from swinging forward into engagement with the rack 19 until the proper instant when such engagement should take place.

* Fastened to the ceiling of the car, or a suitable projection, 39, therefrom, is a curved spring guide 40, against the inner face of which the heel 35 of the pawl 33 bears when coming to or just leaving the position shown in Fig. 9. The lower edge of the end of the guide 40 is curved or beveled off, as shown at 41, in Fig. 14, so that when the arm 31 is coming back to the position shown in Fig. 9 the end of the spring 36 will encounter the beveled end of the guide 40, and be depressed for the purpose of forcing the stop 37 down below the end 38 of the pawl 33, and permitting the guide 40, acting on the heel 35 of the pawl 33, to force the pawl into en ga gement with the rack 19.

In Fig. 13 I show the parts in the position occupied when the spring 36 is coming in contact with the beveled end 41 of the spring guide 40. As the arm 31 turns forward in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 13, the heel 35 of the pawl comes in contact with the curved guide 40, and the pawl is thereby forced inward until it engages with the rack 19, being held in such engagement by the spring-guide 40, as shown in Fig. 9. Secured rigidly to the hub of the pawl 33 is a weighted arm, 42 which, when the arm 31 is thrown backward by the impact of the bag against the hook 4, swings around with the pawl 33, the latter carrying with it the drum 17 by reason of its. engagement with the rack 19 thereon. When, however, the movement of the hook 4, disk 2, shaft 14, and arm 31, produced by the impact of the bag, terminates, the momentum of the weighted arm 42 will cause it to be carried still farther back a sufficient distance to disengage the pawl 33 from the rack 19, the pawl turningonits pivot 32 until it comes into contact with the stop 34, as indicated in Fig. 11. As before stated, when the pawl comes into this position, its end is passed over the inclined stop 37 and stands behind the same, and the pawl is thereby prevented from swinging back into gear with the rack 19. The operation of this part of my improvement is as follows: The hook beingin the engaging position shown in Fig. 3, when the bag strikes it, it causes the hook with its disk 2, shaft 1.4, and the arm 31 to turn backward into the car against the pressure of the spring 5. The pawl 33, being in the engaging position shown in Fig. 9, carries the drum 17 around with it, causing the cord. 21 to wind up on the drum, and pulling the (1001- 23 around, so as to permit the bag to come into the car. When'the motion caused by the impact of the bag ceases, the weighted arm 42 by its momentum throws the pawl 33 out'of engagement with the rack 19 and releases the drum 17. Then the door'sprin g 26, acting upon the door 23, throws it shut, drawing the cord 21 oft the now loose drum 17 ,the latter turning freely as the rope is drawn oft. As the door closes, the leaf 25 comes in contact with the ends of the cross-piece 29, which causes it to turn on its hinges 27, as shown in Fig. 4, and to slip past the same until its outer edge is clear, when it will be closed by the action of its spring-hinges over the narrow end of the hook, the latter passing freely through the slot 28.

Attached to the top of the car, as shown in Fig. 5, is a stop 43, which acts in connection with the arm 44, attached to the hollow shaft 14, to stop the forward movement of the shaft, and consequently of the bag-engaging hook, so that it will always be brought into the proper engaging position by the action of the spring 5. 'VVhen the door 23 is closed, as shown in Fig. 4, the opening 30 in the leaf 25 occupies the position of an arc of a circle struck from the center of the standard 1, around which the hook 4 swings, and when the hook is thrown out into an engaging position through the slot 28in the door, the cross-piece 29, although wider than the slot 30, passes through the latter edgewise, as indicated in Fig. 4. The lever 12 is provided with a spring, 45, which, after its lower end has passed over the incline 11 restores its upper end to its normal position, so as to permit the pawl 8 to engage with the rack 3.

46 is a tension-spring placed in the rope 21.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a railway-car bag catching and delivering device, consisting of a catching-hook, spring-actuated ratchet-disk, and paw], with a pawl-tripping lever pivoted to the floor of the car, having its lower end extended so as to travel alongside of the trackrail, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The combination of a railway-car bag catching and delivering device, consisting of a catching-hook, spring-actuated ratchet-disk, and pawl, with a pawltrippin g lever pivoted to the floor of the ear, with its lower end ex tended to the side of the rail, and a wedge or cam shaped tripping device for turning the lever on its pivot so as to disengage the pawl, and a spring for restoring the lever to its normal position, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. The combination of a railway-ear bag catching and delivering device, consisting of a catching-hook, spring-actuated ratchetdisk,

and pawl, with a drum connected with the said disk, a cord or rope leading from said drum over a suitable sheave to the car-door, and a car-door provided with a closing-spring, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. The combination of an oscillating bagcatching hook arranged in a car with a cardoor provided with a slot for the passage of said hook, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. The combination of an oscillating bagcatching hook having lateral extensions with a car-door provided with a slot for the passage of the hook, and a narrow opening for the passage of the lateral extension of the hook, of sufficient width to permit the extension to pass through it in an angling direction only, substantially as and for the purposes described.

6. In a bag-catching device, the combination of a standard for supporting the mechanism, a spring-actuated disk carrying the baghook and provided with a ratchet-rack and pawl, a hollow shaft encircling the standard and connected with said disk, adrum mounted loosely on the standard and provided with a ratchet-rack and pawl, a cord leading from said drum around a suitable sheave, and a spring-actuated car-door with which said cord is connected, substantially as and for thepurposes described.

7. The combination of the hollow shaft 14, drum 17, mounted loosely thereon and provided with a ratchet-rack, 19,a rigid arm, 31, connected with the shaft, pawl 33, provided with a weighted arm, 42, pivoted to the arm 31 and arranged to engage with the rack 19, substantially as and for the purposes described.

8. The combination of the ratchet 19, arm 31, provided with stop 31, pawl 33, provided with weighted arm 4'), and spring 36, provided with stop 37, substantially as and for the purposes described.

9. The combination of the ratchet 19, arm 31, provided with stop 31, pawl 33, and curved guide 40, substantially as and for the purposes described.

10. The combination of the rack 19, arm 31, provided with stop 31, pawl 33, spring 36, provided with stop 37, and curved guide 4.0, substantially as and for the purposes described.

11. The combination of the standard,hookdisk 2, shaft 14, arm 44, and stop 43, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 25th day of March, A. D. 1885.

PETER B. GASSIDY.

Witnesses W. B. GoRwiN, THOMAS B. KERR. 

